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How to Make Your Lips Look Fuller – All The Tips You Need to Know

By MiNDFOOD

make your lips look fuller
We spoke with the make-up experts and found out how to make your lips look fuller with a few make-up tricks and tips.

If Mother Nature cheated you in the lip department, don’t sweat it. We spoke with the make-up experts and found out how to make your lips look fuller with a few make-up tricks and tips.

As far as lofty beauty goals of recent years are concerned – thanks, Instagram – it’s been hard to ignore the growing trend towards an exaggerated, pumped-up pout. Even though appearance medicine is less of a taboo topic than it once was, not all of us have the desire to take a needle or two to our pouts. But does such a reluctance mean we’re destined to a lifetime of small pouts? Or can you cheat your way to a plumper pout without turning to the likes of injectable fillers?

“Absolutely!” says Blair Gamblin, education manager for Bobbi Brown New Zealand. All it takes are the right products and a bit of expert know-how to make your lips look fuller. Vibrant lip colours might be your go-to if you’ve been blessed with a naturally full pout, but if you’ve lucked out in the lip genes department, caution is natural when considering out-there shades of lip colour.

Both Gamblin and Lochie Stonehouse, education manager for YSL and Giorgio Armani Beauty, agree there are colours best avoided if you’re on a quest for fuller lips. “Dark matte colours can flatten the appearance of your mouth,” says Gamblin. “I recommend opting for glossy nudes or paler shades to make your pout look naturally plumper.” Gamblin says Bobbi Brown’s new Crushed Liquid Lip is perfect for those who want to wear brighter shades. “It has the look of a liquid lipstick that meets the comfortable feel of a balm and the plumped-up sheen of a gloss. The high-shine textures let you play and experiment with colour without sacrificing the appearance of fuller lips.”

1. Shiseido Colourgel Lip Balm in Narcissus ($56).  2. Dior Addict Stellar Shine in Riviera Star ($62). 3. Hourglass No.28 Lip Treatment Oil in Icon ($84). 4. Tom Ford Lip Lacquer Luxe Vinyl in Infatuate ($92). 5. Karen Murrell lipstick in Coral Dawn ($32).

Stonehouse says it’s best to avoid blue-based pinks and purples if you want to make your lips look fuller: “Warm tones will tend to emphasise the natural size of lips.” He favours warm nudes, coral-pinks, oranges and reds – a personal favourite of his is YSL Beauty’s Volupté Plump-in-Colour in Mad Nude. It’s also important to consider the texture of your lip colour. Matte-based formulations can draw unwanted attention to smaller pouts, which is why Stonehouse recommends glossy textures that capture light and create the illusion of more prominent lips. “A bright colour in a glossy formula will always translate to looking less intense than a matte. And it won’t draw attention to thin lips.”

Fortunately for au naturel lip-colour lovers, who have had enough of often-unflattering matte lip colours, high-shine lipsticks, glosses and hybrid matte shades that don’t dry out lips are taking centre stage in the beauty world. “The future of lipsticks will be hybrid formulas that provide multi-faceted benefits,” says Stonehouse. “Look out for formulas that hydrate and offer colour, all while providing longevity and comfort.” Matte lip colour will still exist, but next-generation matte lip formulations – such as Giorgio Armani Rouge D’Armani Matte and YSL Rouge Pur Couture – will take into account comfort and wearability. “We’re moving away from drying matte textures and we’re seeking comfort now, more than ever,” Stonehouse says. “What looks good should also feel good. Whether matte, silky or glossy, our products need to feel comfortable and wear beautifully.” Gamblin also believes hybrid formulations are the way of the future. “For lipsticks, that means the long-lasting power of a stain with the pigment of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss.”

make your lips look fuller

Estée Lauder Pure Color Desire Rouge Excess in Shake Up ($73). Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip in Cool Beets ($50). YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Slim in Nu Incongru ($69). Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in Ardent ($62).

How to Make Your Lips Look Fuller Using Lip Liner

Opting for a flattering shade will help make your lips look fuller, but a great lip liner coupled with a professional-like application technique is essential for those after a fuller pout. Treating your lips to a little TLC can help lip colour last longer. Gamblin says exfoliating your lips regularly with a lip scrub will help keep them smooth and kissable. Both Stonehouse and Gamblin recommend prepping lips with a lip balm before applying colour.

Stonehouse says too much product can cause lip liner to slip and slide on application. “After a minute or so, blot off excess moisture with a tissue before applying your lip liner or lipstick.” Using a lip liner can help you enhance the shape and size of your lips by defining or overdrawing your lips, explains Stonehouse. “If you have a thin top or bottom lip, they can help you achieve more balance,” he says. And, chances are, they’ll also give your chosen lip colour more staying power, too. “Applying lip liner before your lipstick or lip gloss helps prevent the colour from bleeding or feathering – making it a dream for dark lipstick lovers,” says Gamblin.

“Simply lining and filling in your lips with a pencil will give your lip colour something to adhere to, which increases its staying power.” If you’re completely new to lip liner, Gamblin says to forget about the too-dark lip pencil that dominated the ’90s and chose a shade based on your chosen lipstick. “The best thing that you can do is go out and find two or three very versatile shades of lip liner,” she says. When it comes to the application, both Gamblin and Stonehouse recommend colouring in your lips first and worrying about the outer line later. “From here, slowly work your way outwards,” says Stonehouse. “Slowly bring the line out further, stroke by stroke.” To further create the desired shape, Gamblin says to use short strokes around the Cupid’s bow and lip edge.

Stonehouse says lighting is crucial to mastering lip liner application. “If your bathroom mirror is positioned by a window that renders one side of your face shadowy, try popping a small mirror up against a windowsill instead.” Once you think you’re done, Gamblin suggests putting your chin to your neck and looking in the mirror. “You will see the top line from a different perspective and this will help you even out any edges. For the bottom lip, lift your chin so you can see your neck and then check the bottom lip line in the mirror.” When you’re ready to apply your lip cover over the top of your liner, Gamblin says to apply it straight from the lipstick bullet or use a lip brush for better control. “Always start in the centre of your lip and push product outwards toward the edges.” At the end of the day, make-up and lip colour should be about having fun: after all, all you need is some micellar water to remove a colour you’re not fond of and start again.

Looking for a new red lipstick? Here’s how to find the perfect shade for you.

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